BOSTON—With the Celtics desperate for a win after an 0-3 start, there was a bit of good news before tipoff of their home opener against the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden: Veteran small forward Paul Pierce, out with an injured heel since the preseason, will play.

Coach Doc Rivers said before tonight's game that he is not sure what to expect from Pierce, who has not been able to practice. Rivers said the NBA's tough, 66-game post-lockout schedule has made injuries a bit more difficult to deal with.

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“I don’t know what percentage he is, I just know that (trainer) Eddie Lacerte said Paul should play tonight, and so we’re going to play him tonight,” Rivers said. “I know it is good to have him on the floor. He has great ability, we know that, and whether he can get it out of him today, we don’t know. That’s part of the lockout season. You don’t have practices to get guys back in shape—you have to use games.”

Pierce is 34 and in his 14th NBA season. He averaged 18.9 points for the Celtics last year, tops on the team. Rivers said that Pierce is fully healed, and that the team’s bad start had nothing to do with the decision to play.

“We could be 3-0, I would be playing Paul tonight. We could be 0-3, I would be playing Paul tonight,” Rivers said.